Korra tugged against her mother's hand. "But it's got candy!"
"I don't care, Korra," her mother said tiredly. "We're not going there."
As Korra pulled, the hard, compacted snow melted and refroze under her mother's feet, turning into a glassy sheet of perfect, slick ice. Senna slid on the ice as if wheels had been attached to her feet, as if she wore freshly sharpened ice skates. And no matter how many times her mother shouted "Korra, no!" Korra kept dragging her behind her in her small, relentless wake.
Korra, blithely unaware of her newest show of waterbending, in pursuit of the booth with candy, as she had been unaware of all of them previously, sauntered under the booth canopy, and favored the woman behind the table with a wide, guileless smile. The woman behind the table frowned forebodingly down at her, and Korra's smile faltered.
"My, Senna, your girl strong," one of the women shopping chuckled, the lines on her face softening into a smile. Her gnarled fingers plucked one of the strings of fruit flavored sugar lumps from a hook on one of the poles that held up the booth's canvas roof. They shimmered like ice in the light that filtered down through the canvas. Korra popped one of the candy beads in her mouth, It was lemonberry. Her favorite.
"Those are imported!" the shopkeeper gasped furiously. "You can't just-"
"Oh calm down Nigaq." The old woman clucked her tongue and patted Korra on the back. "You know I'm good for it. Such a strong child."
"Well I heard that happens when they're mixed," the shopkeeper growled. Korra didn't think she liked her very much.
"Don't be nasty," the old woman scolded. "Besides, it's an old wives' tale, and both her parents are Water Tribe anyway."
"Okay," Senna cut in quickly. "You've had your candy, Korra, thank the nice ladies so we can leave."
Korra stuck her lip out stubbornly and pointed at the shopkeeper. "She's not a nice lady."
The shopkeeper's mouth dropped open. "Well I never!"
"Korra!" Senna grabbed her daughter's arm.
The old woman snorted. "She has you pegged, Nigaq."
"Your daughter is a miserable little brat," the shopkeeper sneered, hauling herself up to her feet to loom menacingly over her table. "I hope you're happy with her, Senna. Serves you right for not settling down with a nice Southern boy."
"I hope you have a lovely day, Nigaq," Korra's mother retorted. She turned to the old woman who had given Korra the candy and took her daughter's arm. "That was very sweet of you, Kirima thank you. Come on, Korra, let's go."
Korra watched the women as her mother let her out of the shop, sucking on the lump of candy uncertainly.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
branchandroot
Korra encounters prejudice due to being half Northern and half Southern
Date: 2012-12-15 11:41 pm (UTC)"I don't care, Korra," her mother said tiredly. "We're not going there."
As Korra pulled, the hard, compacted snow melted and refroze under her mother's feet, turning into a glassy sheet of perfect, slick ice. Senna slid on the ice as if wheels had been attached to her feet, as if she wore freshly sharpened ice skates. And no matter how many times her mother shouted "Korra, no!" Korra kept dragging her behind her in her small, relentless wake.
Korra, blithely unaware of her newest show of waterbending, in pursuit of the booth with candy, as she had been unaware of all of them previously, sauntered under the booth canopy, and favored the woman behind the table with a wide, guileless smile. The woman behind the table frowned forebodingly down at her, and Korra's smile faltered.
"My, Senna, your girl strong," one of the women shopping chuckled, the lines on her face softening into a smile. Her gnarled fingers plucked one of the strings of fruit flavored sugar lumps from a hook on one of the poles that held up the booth's canvas roof. They shimmered like ice in the light that filtered down through the canvas. Korra popped one of the candy beads in her mouth, It was lemonberry. Her favorite.
"Those are imported!" the shopkeeper gasped furiously. "You can't just-"
"Oh calm down Nigaq." The old woman clucked her tongue and patted Korra on the back. "You know I'm good for it. Such a strong child."
"Well I heard that happens when they're mixed," the shopkeeper growled. Korra didn't think she liked her very much.
"Don't be nasty," the old woman scolded. "Besides, it's an old wives' tale, and both her parents are Water Tribe anyway."
"Okay," Senna cut in quickly. "You've had your candy, Korra, thank the nice ladies so we can leave."
Korra stuck her lip out stubbornly and pointed at the shopkeeper. "She's not a nice lady."
The shopkeeper's mouth dropped open. "Well I never!"
"Korra!" Senna grabbed her daughter's arm.
The old woman snorted. "She has you pegged, Nigaq."
"Your daughter is a miserable little brat," the shopkeeper sneered, hauling herself up to her feet to loom menacingly over her table. "I hope you're happy with her, Senna. Serves you right for not settling down with a nice Southern boy."
"I hope you have a lovely day, Nigaq," Korra's mother retorted. She turned to the old woman who had given Korra the candy and took her daughter's arm. "That was very sweet of you, Kirima thank you. Come on, Korra, let's go."
Korra watched the women as her mother let her out of the shop, sucking on the lump of candy uncertainly.